The Beginner's Goodbye

"Anne Tyler gives us a wise, haunting, and deeply moving new novel in which she explores how a middle-aged man, ripped apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances--in their house, on the roadway, in the market. Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron has spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, a plain, outspoken, independent young woman, she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly, he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy's unexpected appearances from the dead help him to live in the moment and to find some peace. Gradually he discovers, as he works in the family's vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life, that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye. A beautiful, subtle exploration of loss and recovery, pierced throughout with Anne Tyler's humor, wisdom, and always penetrating look at human foibles"--

"Partially disabled by an illness in childhood, 36-year-old Aaron is fiercely independent, but when his pragmatic, slightly older wife Dorothy is killed by a tree that falls on their house, he is devastated. The house destroyed, he moves in with his overbearing sister and hides out in his office at the family's publishing company (known for publishing a series of instructional books, advice from which is scattered throughout the novel). It's not until Dorothy's ghost begins appearing that Aaron starts moving through the process of grieving - and starts truly understanding their marriage. Check out The Beginner's Goodbye for a sensitive portrayal of love and grief." May 2013 Fiction A to Z newsletter http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=5acc8fc1-4e91-4ebe-906d-f8fc5e82a8e0&N=635711

Anne Tyler never disappoints although this is not her best novel. The story follows the trail of grief to its natural resolution. Her characters are quirky as usual and yet we find something of ourselves that we can forgive by sharing this tale.